Marine Conservation

The Raja Ampat Regency Government in West Papua has announced the launch of an annual tag system for visitors to their newly declared network of 7 Marine Protected Areas (MPA). 

The annual plastic tag, modified from the successful Bunaken Marine Park tag will be valid for 13 months from the 1^st of each calendar year and will cost Rp500,000 (US$55) for international visitors, which has to be paid in cash to the resort you are staying at.

70% of the funds will be managed by a multi-stakeholder team for conservation and community development programs. 30% of the fund will go to the Tourism Department for tourism development.

The local government engaged the assistance of three major International NGOs, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and WWF to help define the most valuable areas for protection. Currently they are helping to develop management plans with the local communities and enforcement agencies appropriate for each area. The Coral Reef Alliance assisted with the development and socialization of the tag system with the diving community.

Raja Ampat has been found to have the highest biodiversity of fish and corals within the Coral Triangle.

© Photo by Bittenbysharks.com